Animesh Kujur Clocks Historic 10.14s, Becomes India's Fastest Sprinter on Foreign Soil
Indian sprint sensation Animesh Kujur continued his remarkable rise in international athletics by producing the fastest-ever 100m run by an Indian outside the country, clocking a sensational 10.14 seconds to finish second at the PUMA Fast Arms Fast Legs 2026 meet in Wetzlar, Germany.
Competing in a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event, the 22-year-old improved on his own lifetime best after earlier recording 10.19 seconds in the heats, before producing an even faster run in the final. His time of 10.14 seconds now stands as the second-fastest 100m ever run by an Indian, behind only Gurindervir Singh's national-leading mark of 10.09 seconds.
South Africa's Retshidisitswe Mlenga, the reigning World Under-18 champion, won the race with a season's best time of 10.03 seconds, while Kujur secured the silver medal with another historic performance.
Kujur has enjoyed an outstanding 2026 season, and his latest performance adds another milestone to an already impressive campaign. The Odisha sprinter first caught national attention after rewriting the Indian men's 200m record, and he has now firmly established himself among the country's greatest short-distance runners in the 100m as well.
His run of 10.14 seconds achieved three major milestones:
Fastest 100m ever by an Indian outside India
Second-fastest 100m in Indian history
New personal best
The result also demonstrates the rapid improvement Kujur has made over the past two seasons as he continues to narrow the gap with India's all-time fastest sprinters.
Earlier in the day, Kujur comfortably qualified for the final after clocking 10.19 seconds in his heat. That performance had already equalled the joint fifth-fastest time ever recorded by an Indian, matching the mark previously achieved by Manikanta. More importantly, it suggested Kujur was carrying excellent form into the final. He responded exactly as expected. Against a stronger field and under greater pressure, Kujur improved by five hundredths of a second to register 10.14 seconds, underlining both his physical condition and ability to deliver when it matters most.
One of the most striking aspects of Kujur's career has been his performances in Europe. The Indian sprinter has repeatedly produced his fastest times while competing on the European circuit, where high-quality competition and favourable sprint conditions have helped elevate his performances. His previous best performances outside India included the 10.18-second run at the Konstantinos Baglatzis Sprint & Relays Meet.
Now, with the 10.14-second effort in Germany, he has broken his own benchmark to establish a new national standard for Indian athletes competing overseas. The consistency of his performances abroad suggests that exposure to elite international competition is playing a significant role in his development.
Kujur's latest performance further strengthens his position among India's finest 100m runners. Following his run in Germany, India's all-time top performances now read:
Gurindervir Singh – 10.09s
Animesh Kujur – 10.14s
Animesh Kujur – 10.15s
Gurindervir Singh – 10.17s
Animesh Kujur – 10.18s
Remarkably, Kujur now owns three of the five fastest performances in Indian history, highlighting his remarkable consistency at the elite level. He has also become one of the very few Indian sprinters capable of regularly running below 10.20 seconds, a benchmark that was once considered unattainable for Indian men's sprinting.
Although the headlines rightly focus on the timing, Kujur's silver medal also deserves recognition. He finished second behind South Africa's Retshidisitswe Mlenga, one of the world's most promising young sprinters, who clocked 10.03 seconds to win the race. Competing against such high-quality opposition provides valuable experience and pushes athletes to produce faster performances.
Kujur not only held his own but also finished comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, another encouraging sign as he prepares for bigger competitions later this season.
The timing of Kujur's personal best is particularly significant. With major international events approaching, including the World Athletics Championships and other key competitions, the Indian sprinter appears to be peaking at the right moment. Running 10.14 seconds places him within striking distance of India's national record and demonstrates that he possesses the speed to compete consistently at the international level.
Equally encouraging is the manner in which the performance was achieved. After already running 10.19 seconds in the heats, Kujur found another level in the final, reflecting excellent race management, physical conditioning, and mental composure.
Indian sprinting has witnessed remarkable progress over the last few years, with athletes consistently lowering national standards across both the 100m and 200m. Kujur has been at the forefront of that transformation. Already the national record holder in the men's 200m, he has now established himself as one of India's greatest-ever 100m sprinters as well.
His ability to excel in both sprint disciplines makes him one of the country's most exciting athletics prospects. More importantly, his performances continue to inspire a new generation of Indian sprinters, proving that athletes from the country can compete with the world's best on the international circuit.
As the season enters its most important phase, Animesh Kujur's historic 10.14-second run in Germany serves as another reminder that Indian sprinting is entering a new era. With confidence growing and the national record now firmly within reach, the Odisha sprinter appears poised to achieve even greater milestones in the months ahead.
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